RESOURCES 

AND  DEVELOPMENT  OF 

CUBA 


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RESOURCES  AND  DEVELOPMENT  OF  CUBA 

By  Frances  M.  Schuyler 


RELIGIOUS  WORK  IN  CUBA 

Bishop  W.  A.  Candler  in  an  address  before  the  British  Wesleyan  Conference  at  York, 
England,  recently  said  that  the  missions  in  Cuba  and  other  lands  were  very  prosperous. 
Cuba  is  the  youngest  mission  field  where  “we  have  had  an  organized  mission  since  1898.” 
He  said  further:  “  I  am  glad  to  tell  you  that  we  have  strong  and  growing  churches  in  every 
provincial  capital  of  the  island  and  in  many  towns  and  cities  of  smaller  size.  Our  Cuban 
members  number  about  3,000.  In  the  soft  accents  of  the  Castilian  tongue  the  sentiments 
of  Charles  Wesley’s  hymns  are  sung  with  the  same  fervor  with  which  they  are  poured  forth 
in  their  own  island  home.” 

Rev.  M.  N.  McCall  in  the  Atlanta  (Ga.)  Christian  Inde.x,  writes  that  “when  the  history 
of  modern  missions  shall  have  been  completed  one  of  its  brighest  pages  will  be  on  Cuba.” 

“In  our  last  three  Baptist  Conventions  there  the  mayor  of  the  respective  cities  wel¬ 
comed  the  body  in  the  name  of  the  town,  from  the  pulpit  of  our  chapel.  Two  of  these 
towns  were  provincial  capitals,  and  one  of  them  the  third  city  in  the  island.  We  are  accus¬ 
tomed  to  such  things  in  the  states,  but  a  few  years  ago  it  would  have  been  unthinkable 
in  Cuba. 

There  are  now  thirteen  Baptist  churches,  thirty  preaching  stations  which  will  later 
be  organized.  The  Cuban-American  College,  Havana,  has  completed  its  second  year. 

The  Home  Board  has  secured  excellent  lots  in  a  number  of  places,  and  on  some  of  them 


Gratefully  we  acknowledge  the  helpfulness  of  Cuba  Review,  Home  Mission  Monthly,  and  the  daily  press  in 
gathering  information  for  this  booklet.  F.  ^I.  S. 


3 


has  erected  chapels.  The  church  building  at  Matanzas  has  just  been  completed,  and  is 
a  model  of  beauty  and  convenience.” 

In  the  addresses  of  the  Rt.  Rev.  Albion  W.  Knight,  Episcopal  Bishop  of  Cuba,  delivered 
in  Washington  recently,  much  interesting  information  regarding  the  work  of  the  Episcopal 
Church  in  Cuba  was  given.  Speaking  of  general  sanitary  conditions  there,  he  said: 

“Cuba  is  a  health  resort.  The  contagious  diseases  that  were  once  a  scourge  are  now 
but  little  known,  and  I  think  that  Cuba  is  as  healthy  as  any  locality  in  the  United 
States.” 

In  discussing  the  missionary  work  of  the  church  he  said :  “  The  Episcopal  Church  has 

erected  a  church  building  in  Havana,  the  construction  of  which  was  paid  for  by  donations 
from  the  people.” 

“Three  years  ago  there  were  but  8.5  children,  200  communicants,  and  2  clergymen  con¬ 
nected  with  the  church  on  the  island.  This  year’s  report  shows  there  are  700  children 
1,171  communicants,  and  16  clergymen.” 

During  the  bishop’s  first  year  in  the  island  he  confirmed  23  communicants;  la.st  year 
294  were  received,  230  of  whom  were  natives  unable  to  speak  the  English  language. 

There  are  eight  parochial  schools,  sustained  by  the  parents  of  the  pupils.  The  Cathe¬ 
dral  School,  in  Havana  which  is  three  years  old,  is  for  girls.  When  the  school  opened 
there  were  20  pupils;  the  second  year  130,  and  this  year  there  are  260. 

Another  school  was  opened  this  year  for  the  poor  children  of  the  city  of  Havana.  There 
were  86  pupils  at  the  opening  and  each  one  brings  a  small  sum  of  money  from  time  to 
time,  which  goes  toward  the  support  of  the  school. 


4 


Among  other  religious  institutions  on  the  island  is  the  Industrial  School  for  Negroes, 
which  was  started  last  year.  The  bishop  said  the  negro  has  been  neglected  religiously, 
and  that  this  new  school  is  the  only  one  outside  of  the  public  school  to  which  the  negro 
can  turn  for  education.  Already  there  have  been  fifty  negroes  confirmed,  and  the  work 
is  meeting  with  great  success.  It  costs  about  $12,000  a  year  to  carry  on  the  enterprise, 
and  most  of  this  is  paid  by  public  subscription  and  by  those  interested  in  the  work. 

The  new  work  in  Guantanamo,  says  the  New  York  Churchman,  is  rapidly  approach¬ 
ing  completion,  and  it  will  soon  be  ready  for  occupation.  It  is  the  gift  of  Mr.  W.  W. 
Frazer,  of  Philadelphia.  Another  new  church  is  in  process  of  erection  at  Ensenada  de 
Mora,  a  sugar  estate  east  of  Cienfuegos,  on  the  southern  shore.  It  is  being  erected  through 
the  generosity  of  Mr.  Alfred  Harrison,  of  Philadelphia,  and  it  will  minister  to  a  popula¬ 
tion  of  more  than  1,800  men. 

AMERICAN  EDUCATION  IN  CUBA 

Governor  Magoon’s  report  just  issued  says  that  for  primary  education  Cuba  has  3,700 
public  school  teachers,  130,114  pupils,  and  106  boards  of  education. 

The  department  of  public  instruction  is  divided  into  two  sections,  primary  instruction 
and  superior  instruction,  the  latter  subdivided  into  two  departments,  the  institutes  and  the 
national  university.  The  state  also  supports,  in  connection  with  its  section  of  superior 
instruction,  the  school  of  arts  and  trades,  the  school  of  painting  and  sculpture,  and  the 
national  library. 

Normally  the  attendance  is  two-thirds  white  and  one-third  colored,  with  52,000  young 
men  and  boys  and  44,000  women  and  girls. 

5 


ANOTHER  VIEW  OF  YUMRI  VALLEY,  MATANZAS,  CUBA 


The  most  important  stej)s  in  connection  with  the  public  schools  have  been  the  move¬ 
ment  toward  the  grading  of  the  schools  in  a  pedagogic  and  scientific  manner,  the  number  of 
special  branches  taught  and  the  wider  scope  given  to  those  which  already  existed  in  the 
schools  of  Cuba.  In  1906  the  following  special  branches  were  added:  Lace  work,  sew¬ 
ing  and  pattern  work,  drawing  and  modeling,  sloyd  in  cardboard,  sloyd  in  metal  and 
music.  Kindergarten,  sloyd  in  wood,  and  physical  training  were  akso  taught. 

The  School  of  Arts  (manual)  and  Trades,  which  the  American  Military  government  of 
intervention  raised  to  a  high  degree  of  excellence,  has  been  amply  j)rovided  for  by  an 
appropriation  of  $41,000.  The  school  provides  day  and  night  instructions  and  turns  out 
.skilled  workmen  and  artisans.  The  state  contributes  $16,060  toward  the  .school  of  paint¬ 
ing  and  sculpture,  in  which  .500  pupils  are  enrolled  this  year.  The  young  women  have 
a  woman  teacher  in  the  class  of  anatomy  and  drawing  from  the  living  model. 

The  national  library,  founded  by  the  first  American  government  of  the  island,  now 
contains  over  40,000  books.  It  gets  $11,660  a  year  from  the  state  towards  its  support. 

ENGLISH  TEACHING  IN  CUBAN  SCHOOLS 

Boys  and  girls  in  Cuba  began  to  learn  English  from  a  text-book,  the  first  ever  used 
in  Cuban  .schools,  on  January  1.  The  Department  of  Education  plans  to  place  the  book 
in  use  in  all  the  schools  where  English  is  taught  and  to  have  a  course  in  every  school  as 
soon  as  possible.  The  enlargement  of  this  work  necessitated  more  teachers  and  exami¬ 
nations,  which  were  held  recently,  yielded  certificates  to  thirty-five  out  of  the  fifty-.seven 
applicants. 


7 


THE  CLERKS’  CLUB  OF  HAVANA 

One  day  in  Havana  recently,  during  a  conversation  with  Governor  Magoon,  the  Cu¬ 
ban’s  ability  to  take  care  of  himself  came  up,  and  as  an  example  of  this  the  governor 
spoke  in  most  complimentary  terms  of  the  “Association  de  Dependientes  del  Comercio 
de  la  Habana,”  a  society  which  in  English  would  be  known  as  the  Clerks’  Club.  “In¬ 
deed,”  said  the  governor,  “I  think  the  people  of  the  United  States  should  know  some¬ 
thing  about  this  association  and  the  benefits  which  accrue  from  its  work  to  the  great 
middle  class  of  Cuba.” 

“  A  special  hospital,  under  the  control  of  the  club  and  a  part  of  the  association,  is  on  the 
outskirts  of  the  city,  and  in  its  equipment  compares  favorably  with  the  best  hospitals  of 
the  States.  The  association  was  formed  by  a  few  clerks  in  the  year  1880,  and  really  had 
its  origin  as  a  beneficial  order.  The  life  of  the  clerk  in  the  employ  of  a  Spanish  merchant 
would  not  appeal  to  the  American  youth,  from  the  fact  that  his  freedom  is  somewhat 
restricted.  He  practically  lives  in  the  shop  and  has  few  privileges,  his  meals  are  eaten  at 
a  small  table  behind  the  counter,  or  in  the  rear  of  the  store,  and  he  sleeps  in  the  building. 
If  he  goes  out  he  must  return  at  a  stated  hour  set  by  his  employer;  vacations  are  short 
and  few,  salaries  are  not  large,  and  the  hours  of  labor  are  long.  Believing  that  these 
restrictions  were  necessary  to  the  efficiency  of  the  clerks,  the  shopkeepers  objected  to  the 
association,  thinking  it  might  mean  strikes  and  other  troublesome  disturbances;  but  their 
fears  were  groundless,  as  there  is  perhaps  no  nation  in  the  w’orld  so  custom-fettered  as  the 
Spanish.  Later  on,  as  the  society  grew  in  numbers,  the  employers  took  an  active  interest 
and  assisted  in  its  management. 

The  first  year  only  five  hundred  members  were  enrolled,  but  soon  the  many  advantages 

8 


“uncle  Sam'’  built  this  institution  op  learning  for  these  children, 

MATANZAS,  CUBA, 


of  the  association  attracted  the  whole  city,  and  applications  for  membership  came  rapidly, 
until  to-day  its  books  show  the  names  of  more  than  twenty-tive  thousand  members  in  good 
standing.  While  any  white  man  is  eligible,  objectionable  characters  are  not  accepted. 
Nationality  is  no  bar,  and  many  Americans  who  occupy  clerical  positions  in  Havana  are 
members.  The  dues  are  one  dollar  and  fifty  cents  per  month,  and  when  one  studies  the 
benefits  to  be  obtained  from  this  trifling  sum,  he  soon  realizes  that  the  financial  end  of  the 
club’s  affairs  is  in  excellent  hands.  The  new  clubhouse  was  opened  a  year  ago,  and  is 
one  of  the  show  places  of  Havana.  It  is  located  on  the  Prado,  near  the  famous  American 
Club  and  in  the  very  heart  of  the  homes  of  the  aristocracy.  The  club  privileges  are  more 
extensive  than  those  of  the  States,  as  the  members  have  the  right  to  bring  their  families, 
and,  besides,  it  is  an  excellent  educational  institution,  where  their  children  may  be  instruct¬ 
ed  by  competent  teachers. 

I  recall  with  pleasure  several  visits  to  this  s})acious  building  anti  expecially  my  visit  to 
the  schoolrooms,  filled  with  bright-eyed  rosy-cheeked  children.  The  boys  occupied 
rooms  on  the  lower  floor.  A  fair  business  education  may  be  secured  here,  and  those  whose 
inclination  runs  toward  some  trade  are  given  a  course  in  manual  training.  Upstairs  is 
the  kindergarten,  where  about  two  hundred  tots  are  being  started  on  the  road  to  learning. 
In  near-by  rooms  were  girls  just  growing  into  womanhood.  Painting  and  music  are 
taught,  the  latter  in  a  most  thorough  manner.  The  Cubans  are  a  music-loving  nation, 
and  learn  it  readily.  The  members  themselves  have  night  classes,  where  bookkeeping, 
stenography  and  English  are  taught.  In  nearly  every  shop  in  Havana  there  are  clerks 
who  speak  English  well  —  the  result  of  a  course  at  the  night  school  of  the  Clerk’s  Club,” 

10 


GOAT  TEAMS  OF  CUBA 


Cuba  is  a  wonderful  country  for  goat  teams.  There  are  all  kinds  of  vehicles,  of  minia¬ 
ture  proportions,  hauled  along  the  roads  by  well-trained  goats.  One  would  hardly  believe 
that  the  goat  could  be  made  to  do  such  good  work  in  harness.  People  who  come  to  Cuba 
from  other  lands,  and  go  out  through  Vedada,  or  Marianao,  meet  numerous  little  outfits 
drawn  quite  speedily  and  steadily  along  the  streets  just  like  any  of  the  horse  and  cattle 
vehieles.  There  are  also  a  number  of  goat  teams  in  the  city  of  Havana.  Suitable  goats 
are  selected  while  young,  and  efforts  made  to  train  them  to  the  harness.  Often  the  young¬ 
ster  is  permitted  to  run  alongside  the  father  or  mother  at  first,  the  same  as  the  young  colt 
is  permitted  to  follow  along  with  the  mother  in  the  hitch  up.  Sometimes  it  is  secured  to 
the  shafts  alongside  of  the  parent.  Some  of  the  goat  trainers  depend  a  great  deal  upon 
the  boys  to  assist  them.  The  latter  ride  upon  them  and  succeed  in  subduing  them  after 
a  few  days. 

There  are  thousands  of  goats  to  select  from,  due  to  the  great  demand  for  goat’s  milk 
in  Cuba.  There  are  goat  milk  industries  which  thrive  exceedingly  well,  and  the  trainers 
go  to  these  people  to  obtain  promising  young  stock  for  the  shafts.  JMarket  people  and 
bottle  collectors,  of  course,  utilize  any  kind  of  goats  for  hauling  their  junk  wagons  through 
the  streets,  and  these  can  be  purchased  for  a  few  dollvrs  each,  but  the  perfectly  trained  goat 
has  a  regular  market  value. 

Poor  people  are  relieved  of  much  labor  by  goats  in  hauling  their  stock.  The  washer¬ 
women  for  the  troops  stationed  in  Cuba  come  with  great  piles  of  laundry  heaped  on  a 
goat  rig,  the  patient  animal  standing  at  the  gate  while  the  goods  are  removed.  There 

11 


HOUSE  IN  THE  WALL,  MATANZAS,  CUBA. 


are  also  peddlers  of  wares  who  go  through  the  streets  with  heavily  laden  little  wagons  which 
are  hauled  by  these  animals. 

The  reader  would  be  surprised,  if  he  were  to  visit  some  of  the  places  where  the  goat 
teams  are  kept.  Miniature  stables  as  neatly  fitted  as  one  could  wish  are  common.  Many 
of  the  Cubans  do  not  take  much  care  of  their  goats,  and  when  not  using  them  permit 
them  to  ramble  through  the  junk  piles  of  the  yard,  seeking  refuse  to  eat.  Others  who  use 
them  continuously  give  them  the  best  care,  forage  being  purchased  regularly  and  fed  to 
them  at  the  right  time,  developing  animals  that  are  sleek  and  trim. 

The  goat  vehicles  are  exceedingly  elaborate,  being  constructed  with  ordinary  box 
bodies,  fitted  with  two  or  four  wheels. 

Goat’s  milk  is  especially  beneficial  for  invalids,  children  and  cookery,  in  general.  It 
has  the  peculiar  advantage  of  being  odorless  unless  contaminated  by  foreign  substance. 
It  is,  again,  absolutely  free  from  the  germs  of  tuberculosis,  and  is  rich  in  nutritive  quali¬ 
ties,  and  is  more  easily  digested  than  cow’s  milk.  The  flavor  generally  associated  with 
goat’s  milk  is  due  to  the  fact  that  the  animals  have  not  been  kept  scrupulously  clean, 
and  also  to  the  fact  that  goat’s  milk  is  affected,  as  is  cow’s  milk,  by  the  character  of 
the  feed.  When  goats  are  as  carefully  herded  as  cows,  and  their  feed  as  closely  watched, 
their  milk  loses  this  foreign  taste  and  is  difficult  to  distinguish  from  cow’s  milk.  The  only 
difference  is  that  goat’s  milk  is  richer,  thicker,  and  slightly  sweeter,  since  it  contains  a  larger 
percentage  of  sugar  and  cream  and  less  water. 

MOTORING  IN  CUBA 

The  center  of  the  street  is  the  automobilist’s;  other  vehicles  keep  to  the  sides,  where. 


13 


when  a  crowd  is  out,  as  at  carnival  time,  the  police  hold  them  in  lines  moving  in  opposite 
directions.  There  are  no  rules  or  regulations  governing  automobiles  once  they  are  outside 
the  city  limits,  excepting  at  Camp  Columbia,  where  army  authorities  have  fixed  eight 
miles  an  hour  as  the  speed  limit  while  passing  through  the  reservation.  Cars  should  slow 
up  on  approaching  hamlets  and  villages.  This  is  a  courtesy  which  should  be  the  more 
readily  accorded  because  it  is  not  demanded,  but  merely  confidently  expected  as  a  matter 
of  course. 

As  few  accidents  have  occurred  on  country  roads  of  Cuba,  the  automobilist  is  welcome 
everywhere.  It  is  customary  for  persons  meeting  on  the  road  to  salute  each  other.  The 
surprising  variety  of  smiles  and  grave  inclinations  of  hand  and  body  received  in  recognition 
makes  the  effort  well  worth  while. 

A  knowledge  of  Spanish  is  not  necessary.  He  should,  however,  learn  to  pronounce 
properly  the  name  of  the  place  he  means  to  reach  or  have  the  name  written  on  a  card  in 
plain  characters.  Then,  in  case  of  doubt  as  to  his  way  there,  he  need  but  pronounce  the 
name  or  show  the  card  to  persons  he  meets.  The  tourist  will  find  everybody  willing  to 
help  him.  The  Cuban  who  directs  him  may  not  speak  a  word  of  English,  but  he  will  con¬ 
verse  so  eloquently  in  pantomime  that  the  traveler,  even  without  any  knowledge  of  Span¬ 
ish,  will  understand. 

It  is  quite  impossible  to  get  really  lost  in  the  country;  there  is  always  the  alternative 
of  turning  back  to  Havana  (or  Matanzas  or  Pinar  del  Rio),  for  in  the  jwovinces  all  good 
roads  leading  in  the  general  direction  of  the  capital  city  inevitably  arrive  there.  Cuba  is 
properly  policed,  in  the  city  and  in  the  country;  but  even  were  provincial  police  in  blue 

14 


YUMRI  VALLP:Y,  MATANZAS,  CUBA. 


and  rural  guards  in  khaki,  entirely  absent  from  the  Government  highways,  Avhich  they 
patrol  in  ])airs,  no  traveler  would  be  in  any  wise  molested. 

AMERICAN  SHOES  IN  CUBA 

Cuba  has  been  a  fine  market  for  American  shoes  the  past  few  years.  In  1!)08  shoes 
valued  at  $162,003  were  .sent  from  this  country  to  Cuba,  but  last  year  the  value  of  shoes 
imported  from  America  was  $1,123,405.  The  total  value  of  shoes  imported  by  Cuba 
the  last  mentioned  year  was  $1,572,493.  Since  1903  Americans  have  had  the  advantage 
of  reduced  duties  in  Cuba,  the  reduction  of  the  duty  on  shoes  being  some  30  per  cent. 

The  shoe  salesman  has  been  far  more  active  in  Cuba  than  have  American  salesmen  in 
most  other  places,  and  there  has  been  more  care  in  endeavoring  to  give  satisfaction.  United 
States  Deputy  Consul  Starrett  at  Havana  recommends  that  the  manufacturers  remember 
that  the  Cuban  has  a  small  foot  with  high  instep,  hollow  on  the  shank  and  slightly  curved. 
The  ladies  require  especially  small  shoes.  Another  requirement  of  the  trade  is  low  cut 
tans  all  the  year  for  the  Cuban  and  other  Latin-American  markets.  It  has  been  almost 
impossible  to  get  these  from  American  dealers  in  the  winter.  The  superiority  of  the  Ameri¬ 
can  shoe,  says  Consul  Starrett  in  his  report,  is  generally  conceded  as  compared  with  the 
Spanish  article. 

There  is  a  good  market  here  for  low-priced  white  canvas  shoes  in  men’s,  women’s  and 
children’s  sizes. 

THE  TREES  OF  EASTERN  CUBA 

Cuba,  while  it  has  lost  by  axe  and  fire  much  of  its  primeval  abundance  of  timber,  still 

16 


retains  much  scattered  lumber  of  very  considerable  marketable  value,  and  more  or  less 
value  commercially. 

Among  the  important  trees  are  logwood  (Haematoxylon  campechianum),  valuable  for 
its  use  in  the  manufacture  of  dyes;  West  Indian  cedar  (Cedrela  odorata),  used  largely  in 
the  manufacture  of  cigar  boxes,  and  mahogany  (Swien tenia  mahogani).  That  this  valu¬ 
able  wood  was  once  abundant  in  Cuba  is  shown  by  the  inferior  uses  to  which  it  was  put  in 
the  older  structures,  and  it  is  still  found  to  some  extent;  lignum  vitae  (Guaiacum  officinale) 
used  in  the  manufacture  of  pulleys,  blocks  and  other  objects  where  extreme  hardness  and 
toughness  is  required,  is  fairly  abundant  and  is  exported  to  a  considerable  extent.  Some 
of  the  trees  which  shade  the  streets  of  Cuban  cities  are  Spanish  laurel,  West  Indian  almond 
(Ficus  indica),  beefwood  (Casuarina  equisetifolia),  resembling  a  conifer  at  a  distance,  but 
possessing  hard,  heavy  wood  and  introduced  from  Australia  and  the  East  Indies,  and  sand¬ 
box  trees  (Hura  crepitans),  deriving  its  name  from  the  fact  that  in  early  times  the  seed  pods 
were  used  as  receptacles  for  sand  for  blotting  purposes. 

The  grand  ceiba  or  silk  cotton  trees  (Ceiba  pentandra)  are  scattered  all  over  the  island, 
but  are  not  much  more  abundant  than  the  valuable  hard  woods.  The  wood  is  soft  and 
light.  This  tree  is  common  to  most  tropical  countries,  and  is  remarkable  for  its  peculiar 
growth,  great  buttresses  at  the  base  with  eliptic  shaft,  and  sparse  branehing. 

Among  fruit  trees  in  Cuba  are  the  orange,  lemon,  lime,  mango,  banana,  grape  fruit, 
bread  fruit,  guava  and  coffee.  The  first  five  are  well  known  as  to  their  commercial  value. 
The  fruit  of  the  mango  is  perhaps  more  highly  prized  by  the  natives,  but  the  taste  for  it, 
once  acquired  by  the  American,  is  apt  to  prove  strong. 

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“uncle  SAM’a”  SCHOOL-HOUSE  NEAR  MATANZAS,  CUBA. 


The  Cuban  pine  (Pinus  heterophylla)  found  also  on  the  Gulf  Coast  of  the  United 
States  and  in  Central  x\merica,  gives  the  name  to  the  Island  of  Pines  as  well  as  to  Pinar 
del  Rio. 

A  feature  which  indicates  the  really  tropical  nature  of  the  forests  of  the  Siena  Maesha 
region  in  the  eastern  part  of  Cuba,  in  Santiago  Province,  is  the  jjrevalence  of  hard  woods. 
Conifers  are  not  well  represented,  though  a  j)ine  occurs  which  has  been  provisionally  re¬ 
ferred  to  as  Pinus  occidentalis.  A  peculiar  feature  regarding  this  tree  is  that  while  else¬ 
where  it  is  a  “white”  pine,  with  four  of  five  needles  growing  from  a  sheath,  it  is  here  found 
producing  two  and  three  needles  after  the  manner  of  the  “yellow”  pine. 

One  of  the  large  growing  trees  is  the  “almacigo”  or  gumbo-limbo  (Bursera  simarubra), 
notable  for  the  papery  and  flaky  qualities  of  the  red  bark.  Another  attaining  a  still  larger 
growth  is  the  “jobo”  or  West  Indian  plum  (Spondias  lutea.)  A  tree  of  the  basswood 
family,  the  “Majagua  de  Cuba”  (Carpodiptera  cubensis),  is  conspicuous  because  of 
bunches  of  small  rose-colored  flowers  which  it  bears. 

Some  of  the  hard  woods  occurring  here  are  granadillo,  ebony,  sabicu,  majagua  and 
mastic.  About  the  shores  the  black  mangrove  (Ayidennia  nitida),  the  white  mangrove 
(Laguncularia  racemosa)  and  the  common  mangrove  (Rhizophora  mangle). 

Cuba  seems  adapted  to  the  growth  of  many  northern  forms  of  arborea,  as  well  as  vege¬ 
tables,  and  the  conditions  there,  favoring  rapid  development,  encoui’age  the  belief  that 
there  might  well  be  founded  a  forest  nursery,  supplying  in  no  small  part  the  requirements 
of  a  tree-impoverished  workl. 

Immense  tracts  of  native  pine  exist  on  the  lines  of  the  Western  Railway  in  the  Province 

19 


of  Pinar  del  Rio,  which,  though  containing  too  high  a  percentage  of  resin  to  last  long  when 
used  for  building  purposes,  is  especially  valuable  for  the  manufacture  of  charcoal,  with 
turpentine  as  a  by-product.  In  the  same  section  were  recorded  some  hard  woods  not  yet 
acquired  by  foreign  interests. 


THE  ISLE  OF  PINES 

A  correspondent  of  the  Havana  Diario  visited  the  Isle  of  Pines  in  April  last  and  her 
bright  description  of  conditions,  people  and  places  is  entertaining  and  informing.  She 
says  the  land  is  a  land  of  contrasts,  as  Nature  probably  intended  it  should  be,  when  first 
she  grew  a  royal  palm  alongside  a  pine  tree  and  repeated  the  bizarre  combination  all  over 
the  surface  of  this  blest  Isle. 

“  The  general  aspect  of  the  country  hereabouts  reminds  one  (if,  indeed,  it  can  be  com¬ 
pared  to  anything  on  earth)  of  tablelands  in  northern  altitudes,  where  close  approach 
to  timberline  stunts  and  thins  the  conifers;  but  again  the  presence  of  the  palms  and  pal¬ 
mettos  proclaims  that  this  region  lies  well  within  the  tropics. 

The  sun  blazes  down  with  vehement  intention  to  melt  even  the  marble  mountains, 
peaked  and  picturesque,  about  Nueva  Gerona;  but  a  never-failing  breeze  keeps  the  mer¬ 
cury  among  the  70’s  and  80’s  month  in  and  month  out,  with  very  rare  incursions  on  the 
90’s  in  midsummertime. 

While  the  Isle  shared  in  the  drought  that  afflicted  all  Cuba,  yet  in  the  citrus  orchards 
even  the  youngest  orange  trees  stand  trim  and  green,  with  a  new  growth  showing.  Har¬ 
rows  turn  up  damp  soil  at  a  depth  of  but  an  inch  and  a  half.  Experiment  has  proven 

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that  every  vegetable  save  those  that  demand  frost  for  thorough  ripening,  can  be  grown  in 
this  sandy  loam,  with  irrigation.  Water  is  found  wherever  dug  for,  and  at  no  great 
depth. 

Almost  the  entire  Isle  belongs  to  Americans,  and  they  have  lost  no  American  qualities 
in  the  process  of  transplanting  from  the  United  States.  From  under  the  ragged  jippijappis 
they  have  adopted,  sun-cooked,  pugnacious  Yankee  faces  look  out  and  Anglo-Saxon  blue 
eyes  gleam  all  the  bluer  by  reason  of  their  crimson  setting  of  fair  skin-burned  scarlet. 

Their  energy  takes  no  note  of  troj)ic  heat  or  indolent  habits  which  “in  Cuba”  include 
a  siesta.  They  breakfast  between  6  and  7,  and  work  till  noon,  when  dinner  appears  upon 
their  tables.  With  little  rest  after  the  hearty  meal,  they  fare  forth  into  the  fields  again, 
where  they  work  until  nightfall,  and  supper  time. 

They  build  their  own  homes,  and  these  are  monuments  of  contract.  The  houses  are 
of  native  pine,  and  are  built  in  pretty  bungalow  style;  they  are  airy,  with  many  windows, 
in  which  is  set  white  cloth  or  very  fine  wire  netting,  instead  of  glass.  Inside,  they  are 
finished  most  artistically  with  wallboard  of  cool  and  comforting  colors,  or  the  natural  pine, 
oiled.  Inside  these  houses  the  settlers  have  collected  their  household  goods;  the  finest  of 
American-made  furniture,  velvety  rugs  soft  under  foot,  pictures  of  value,  varying  from  that 
of  a  merely  pretty  chromo,  to  an  original,  by  an  artist,  in  water  color  or  oil;  pianos  every¬ 
where  of  the  best  makes;  fine  chinaware,  silver  and  table  linen;  bathrooms  fitted  out  in 
accordance  with  sanitary  requirements;  and  kitchens  where  good  American  stoves 
respond  to  the  skill  of  the  housewife,  producing  fare  dear  to  the  heart  of  every  American. 
Your  red-faced  orange  grower,  when  he  comes  in  from  the  field,  removes  at  the  front 


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door,  the  hat  he  has  filched  from  the  “native”  and  steps  into  a  home  that  would  find 
its  kind  in  any  pleasant  suburb  of  Boston  or  Philadelphia. 

Ilis  wife,  in  gingham  apron,  has  prepared  the  dainty  table  that  awaits  his  arrival  v  here 
rolls  and  pies  and  hotcake  appear  familiarly 

Some  settlers  came  for  health’s  sake,  some  others  merely  to  make  money;  some  can’t 
explain  why  they  came,  because  they  themselves  don’t  know;  others  were  literally  driven 
here  by  force  of  a  variety  of  circumstances.  Some  are  glad  they  came;  others  are  frankly 
sorry;  others  remain  non-committal,  while  those  who  have  been  blessed  with  persever¬ 
ance,  physical  endurance  and  a  willingness  to  learn  as  they  work,  are  fairly  jubilant;  you 
can  understand  their  state  of  mind  when  you  see  their  orange  groves  flourishing,  already 
beginning  to  bear. 

The  Americans,  who  appear  to  be  the  majority  of  the  inhabitants,  consider  this  Isle 
apart,  removed,  separate  and  distinct  from  Cuba  and  all  things  Cuban.  They  refer  to 
Cuba  as  a  distant,  foreign,  unrelated  land,  not  altogether  admirable,  either,  by 
the  way. 

“In  Cuba’’  things  are  thus  and  so;  “in  Cuba’’  this  and  that  transpire;  “in  Cuba” 
you  know,  but  not  in  the  Isle  of  Pines. 

The  Department  of  Public  Works  has  approved  the  budgets  for  the  following  roads 
in  the  Isle  of  Pines;  Road  from  Jucaro  to  Nueva  Gerona;  Santa  Fe  to  Ceiba  and  from 
Nueva  Gerona  to  McKinley.  There  is  also  an  appropriation  for  the  construction  of  a 
government  pier  and  warehouse  at  Jucaro.  Contractors  are  hard  at  work  on  the  roads 
which  are  nearing  completion.” 


22 


BANANA  CULTURE  IN  CUBA 

The  banana  (inusa  apsientum  Linn.,  chiefly)  is  one  of  the  very  valuable  tropical  plants, 
being  cultivated  for  its  fruit,  its  fiber,  and  for  ornamental  uses.  The  fruiting  species  sel¬ 
dom  produce  seed,  and  are  propagated  by  suckers  which  grow  from  the  base  of  the  main 
plants.  Each  stalk  or  sucker,  if  left  to  develop,  will  produce  one  bunch  of  fruit,  and  then 
die.  The  usual  method  is  to  cut  the  whole  stem  down  when  removing  the  fruit. 

The  banana  delights  in  a  rich,  moist,  deep  soil,  that  has  an  abundance  of  vegetable 
matter  in  it.  To  do  its  best  and  produce  large,  bunches  of  fruit,  the  year  around,  it  must 
have  a  liberal  and  regular  supply  of  water.  Bananas  do  not  give  good  results  during  our 
long,  dry  winters. 

If  they  cannot  have  ideal  conditions,  they  will  grow  upon  almost  any  soil  except  a  poor 
dry  one,  and  give  fair  results. 

In  preparing  land  it  should  be  plowed  deeply,  replowed,  and  harrowed  until  it  is  in 
fine  mellow  condition.  Too  much  pains  cannot  be  taken  in  having  the  land  w'ell  prepared 
for  planting. 

The  Johnson  is  practically  the  only  variety  grown  for  export,  with  the  exception  of  a 
few  red  bananas  known  as  morado  Colorado.  For  local  markets  in  Cuba  the  monzano  or 
apple  banana  is  the  most  extensively  grown  for  hand  eating  and  the  macho  or  plantain 
for  cooking  purposes. 

In  cutting  bananas,  the  cutter  uses  a  large  knife  or  machete  and  reaches  as  high  up  the 
stem  as  possible  and  cuts  the  stem  just  enough  so  that  the  weight  of  the  bunch  will  bend  it 
down  slowly,  and  he  catches  it  by  the  long  stem  on  the  blossom  end.  The  stems  are  cut  off 

23 


and  the  bunch  laid  in  the  shade  until  taken  to  the  house,  where  they  are  either  sold  or  hung 
up  in  a  cool  airy  room  to  ripen.  The  proper  stage  of  ripeness  in  cutting  bananas  is  told 
largely  by  experience.  The  development  of  the  blossom  end  of  the  individual  fruits  is 
the  best  indication,  for  when  these  ends  are  filled  out  and  plump,  a  bunch  is  ready  to  cut 
and  will  color  up  in  a  few  days.  For  long  distance  shipping  bananas  have  to  be  cut  green¬ 
er  than  for  home  use  or  local  market.  The  idea  is  to  cut  them  in  such  a  stage  of  ripeness 
that  they  will  arrive  at  their  destination  in  a  green  or  slightly  yellow  condition.  The  first 
bunches  are  produced  in  about  18  months  from  setting  out  the  plants  and  a  sucker  a  bunch 
in  12  to  16  months. 

CUBA  RESTORED  AND  MADE  SAFE 

The  rehabilitation  of  Cuba  is  a  bright  page  in  the  annals  of  the  new  order  of  American 
expansion  by  conquest.  We  have  taken  the  plundered  Spanish  province  and  redeemed 
it,  putting  it  on  its  way  to  permanent  self-government.  We  have  cleaned  its  plague 
spots,  driven  out  the  fever,  subdued  its  marauding  bands,  made  life  and  property  safe, 
increased  its  trade,  stimulated  agricultural  growth  and  brought  order  out  of  conditions 
that  threatened  political  disintegration. 

An  era  of  genuine  prosperity  would  seem  to  be  beginning  for  Cuba.  Works  of  public 
improvement  are  being  carried  on.  Railway  traffic  has  been  largely  expanded  and  rail¬ 
way  construction  extended.  Given  sanity  and  the  submergence  of  self-interest  on  the 
part  of  its  political  leaders,  its  second  debut  should  be  an  auspicious  one. 


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